Tim Wakefield's retirement leaves only 3 members of 2004 Red Sox with club

Associated Press photoTim Wakefield won 200 games, including 186 in his 17 seasons with the Boston Red Sox. He was one of the last members of the 2004 champions who were still with the club.

And then there were three.

Pretty soon, there may be only two.

With Tim Wakefield's retirement, which will be formally announced late Friday afternoon in Fort Myers, Fla., only three members of the 2004 Boston Red Sox remain with the club - or two, depending on one's interpretation of the Jason Varitek situation.

With the club prepared to go in new directions with its pitching, Wakefield is calling it quits after 17 years with Boston. He is at or near the top in several of the club's all-time pitching categories, and his 186 victories with the Red Sox rank third on the team's list.

Wakefield turns 46 in August. He has been convinced he has at least one more year of pitching left in him, maybe more.

He has been equally convinced he wants to retire with the Red Sox, though. Wakefield said he has received some interest from other teams, though how much and how seriously is unknown.

Instead, his retirement leaves only David Ortiz, Varitek and Kevin Youkilis from the 2004 team that won the World Series and changed the course of Red Sox history.

Ortiz was one of the team's stars. So was Varitek, who remains in limbo this spring.

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The Red Sox have reportedly entertained the idea of letting him come to spring training. IIf an injury to Jarrod Saltalamacchia or newly acquired Kelly Shoppach occurred, and rookie Ryan Lavarnway was deemed not quite ready, it was possible Varitek would be considered.

The absence of any form of commitment, though, raised the obvious question of whether Varitek, who turns 40 in April, would be willing to chase such an unlikely goal - and perhaps end a proud career in a less than glorious fashion.

No word on that situation has been heard. Manager Bobby Valentine has indicated that "the witching hour'' was approaching, and that the team needed to know how many players would be participating in spring training.

That comment was also made in reference to Wakefield's status earlier this week.

Youkilis was a rookie with the 2004 Red Sox. He played 72 games that year, and also played in two Division Series games.

He did not play in either the epic ALCS against the Yankees or the World Series against the Cardinals, though he was on the World Series roster.

Wakefield pitched Game 1 of the World Series. His greatest contribution may have come in Game 3 of the ALCS, when he willingly took a battering throughout the middle innings of a 19-8 loss to New York.

That saved the bullpen, which became crucial when Boston won Games 4 and 5 in extra innings. The Red Sox went on to beat the Yankees, becoming the only team in baseball history to erase a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-7 series.

Wakefield was also a member of the 2007 world champions, though injuries kept him from pitching in the World Series that year.